Review of Samsung N120

First look at the Samsung N120, brings the Samsung N110 to mind. The N120 does feature the same 10-inch display that the N110 sports and also the same 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 CPU. Similarities apart, this one sports an even larger keyboard and a 2.1 sound system with a 1.5 subwoofer. In Samsung’s own words, this keyboard is a 97% sized keyboard. It has 82 keys and we don’t think there’s any other keyboard around like this one.

Specifications
Price as reviewed: $469
Processor: 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270
Memory: 1GB, 533MHz DDR2
Hard drive: 160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset: Mobile Intel 945GM Express
Graphics: Mobile Intel GMA 950 (integrated)
Operating System: Windows XP

Design
When we first saw the Samsung NC120, we thought it resembled Samsung’s NC20 and N110. It has the same design and looks about the same with the exception that the N120 is wider than the N110. The 10.1-inch display comes with the native resolution of 1,024×600 pixels. It works alright for basic tasks but it’s not easy when we had to view long documents. When used in sunlight, we can see our reflection on the screen but adjusting the display cover does help. Over the display is where the 1.3 megapixel is found with the microphone. We tried it with a couple of instant messaging applications and the picture quality was reasonable enough but our voices recorded through the microphone are not loud enough. It measures 10.7 (in) x 7.4 (in) x 1.2 (in) and weighs 2.8 pounds. The N120 is available in black or white. The set of speakers is located on the front, right and left of the netbook. A 1.5W subwoofer is found on the bottom. There are the usual ports and connections on this netbook and Samsung simplifies this process by having labeling stickers on top of each port and connection so that you can know which is for what.

Keyboard & Sound
Noticeable on this netbook is its huge keyboard. It has a new look with wider keys that are not flat. We enjoyed typing on this keyboard and the same can be noted for its touchpad with is really nice and easy to use. Scrolling up and down pages (which is a must with long pages) was not hard to do. We were equally impressed with the 2.1 speakers present on both sides on the netbook. The sound is loud enough and is even better when we plugged in our headphone or speakers. Undoubtedly, this netbook has the best sound around.

System
Since we have already reviewed the N110, we found that the performance of this netbook is quite similar to the ones of the N100. The N120 features the same Intel 1.6GHz Atom CPU and 1GB of RAM as found on the Samsung N110 and many other netbooks. It performs fine when we use word processing and surfing the web. We tried running some programs simultaneously and that result in slowing down the netbook so for result avoid using the netbook for multi-tasking. The N120 comes with a 1GB of RAM that can be upgraded to 2GB through its RAM access panel that is located on the back on the netbook.

Battery
The battery life of the N120 is excellent. The six-cell battery can last for about 5 hours and 20 minutes. It isn’t the same as the Asus Eee PC 1000HE’s 8700mAh battery but it’s better than what most netbooks provide.

Conclusion
The Samsung N120 is not a perfect all-rounder but it does feature one of the best keyboards around in the netbooks’ market and a very nice set of speakers. Battery life is excellent ranging at about 5 hours or so, this is perfect for those who are looking for a travel companion. It performs the basic tasks that any other 1.6GHz Intel Atom N270 netbook will. The N120 does share similarities with Samsung’s N110. It is a good catch but the price might be a turn-off for those who are looking for an affordable gadget.